Nigeria's House of Representatives has called on the federal government to keep the original route of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway through parts of Ondo and Delta states and to review plans to move it inland, Premium Times reports.
A motion by the Delta lawmaker Thomas Ereyitomi, passed on Wednesday, warned that diverting the road away from riverine communities around Escravos and Ugborodo, home to major oil and gas facilities, could undermine its purpose of improving coastal links and trade.
The roughly 700-kilometre road is planned to run along Nigeria's Atlantic coast. The Works Minister, Dave Umahi, has defended the changes, citing difficult terrain, flooding and weak soil, and says parts of the existing East-West Road will be used. The House wants any change independently assessed for engineering, environmental, social and long-term costs.
Source: Premium Times
